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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28709748">benumbed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/childofthenight2035/pseuds/childofthenight2035'>childofthenight2035</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Put Your Glasses On [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>GOT7, JJ Project</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, music producer!Jaebeom, preschool teacher!Jinyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:54:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28709748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/childofthenight2035/pseuds/childofthenight2035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ye-eun shoots pitying glances at him like she’s done all week, but he doesn’t see it. She’s muttering under her breath—the same speech she made every day after the children all left. There should be comfort in her indignation, but he doesn’t feel it yet. </p><p>He’s expecting the worst.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Put Your Glasses On [31]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>benumbed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>phew it's been a minute, hasn't it? i so desperately wanted to write for my boys after sunday but why do my classes have to interfere like this? i need more time to process and cope, i demand it</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jinyoung is numb as he listens to his professors congratulate him on finally finishing his course.</p><p>They talk a lot, telling him things he’s heard from dozens of people for the last eight years—<em>you’re a strong fellow, a brave boy, you’ve had to face so much hardship but you’ve come out of it with flying colours, we’re proud of you, you’re an inspiration to us all, we hope your future is bright, let this be a new beginning for you, blah, blah, blah.</em></p><p>He puts on a tight smile and reaches for his results. He barely hears them tell him about the ceremony over the summer, barely hears himself promise to be there to receive his certificate and graduate with students at least seven years younger than him. </p><p>He drives to Jaebeom’s apartment on autopilot, like some injured animal seeking a place of comfort, of safety, of rescue. In the back of his mind, he knows Jaebeom is working, knows that he won’t be alone there; an ugly voice says that Jaebeom won’t be bothered to put him before his work, won’t <em>care</em>.</p><p>-</p><p>Jinyoung is numb as Jaebeom explodes.</p><p>Not at him. Jaebeom is immediately receptive, <em>knows</em> that something is wrong, doesn’t look twice at the trio he’s sitting around the coffee table with before excusing himself. He makes a funny little expression when Jinyoung wordlessly thrusts his results at him, like this isn’t the reason and he knows it. Jaebeom must have so much faith in Jinyoung to just assume that his results are spectacular. He doesn’t say anything, just gently lays the papers aside before asking him what’s <em>actually</em> wrong. </p><p>So Jinyoung shows him the email.</p><p>He sits on the edge of the bed, Jaebeom’s angry outbursts washing over him. He doesn’t hear much of it. He catches some words, <em>unbelievable, disgusting, prejudiced</em>—before Jaebeom leaves the room. Ten minutes later, the front door closes and Jaebeom is on the phone with his sister.</p><p>Jinyoung finds himself murmuring, “Don’t tell Gyeom,” and then he tips back onto the bed and curls up, finally allowing a few tears of humiliation and grief be shed. </p><p>-</p><p>Jinyoung is still numb the following week, on the day on the inquiry. </p><p>He’s functional, though. He’s pulled himself together that much, he’s organized his thoughts. He doesn’t know how an inquiry is supposed to go, assumes from the email he received three days ago that he’s going to be interrogated somehow and fired, if he doesn’t make it through. In the midst of it all, he’s hoping he won’t have to receive the twins on the weekend as an unemployed man. </p><p>Jaebeom is here. His sister is, too. So are Jackson and Ye-eun. He has the whole battalion ready. The kids were told what happened on Monday, as simply as he could put it—<em>hey, guys, do you remember how I told you all that I have a boyfriend? well, there’s something else I have to tell you. a lot of people don’t like it when a boy has a boyfriend, or when a girl has a girlfriend. the people who are in charge of this preschool don’t like it, either. so…they might tell me to leave.</em></p><p>Which predictably caused an uproar. Jinyoung feels a twinge of pride piercing through his suppressed feelings. The children are all corralled in the playground area, and Jackson stands in the doorway leading outside, to keep an eye on them. </p><p>Ye-eun shoots pitying glances at him like she’s done all week, but he doesn’t see it. She’s muttering under her breath that <em>they can’t do this, gonna sue them for discrimination, fucking homophobic bastards</em>—the same speech she made every day after the children all left. There should be comfort in her indignation, but he doesn’t feel it yet. </p><p>He’s expecting the worst. </p><p>-</p><p>He very nearly gets what he expected.</p><p>The tight-lipped middle-aged man, so <em>typical</em> of his profession, with greasy hair and suit, stalks around the room, turning his nose up at everything. Much to his surprise, hatred bubbles up within him, making him want to snarl at the stranger and tell him to get out, not to taint this place. He doesn’t know what the man is looking for—does he think Jinyoung has done something here, in front of the kids? He knows what homophobic people think when they encounter gay people. <em>They’re</em> the disgusting ones, not him. </p><p>The man hasn’t spoken to him yet, apart from asking his name.</p><p>“Thought you were here to ask questions, not inspect property,” Ye-eun spits out, falling silent as three people hiss at her. Jinyoung would rather let him do what he wants, as long as he gets to stay. </p><p>The man (Jinyoung hadn’t even caught his name), looks her up and down, then drawls, “Park Jinyoung-ssi, I assume you know why I’m here?”</p><p>“I don’t, actually.”</p><p>He squints in distaste. “I am here to investigate the numerous complaints against you. You have pursued a personal relationship with a guardian of a child, without informing administration, and behaved inappropriately in public, both quite against the guidelines we expect a teacher at this establishment to follow.” He sneers. “Of course, the first priority of the school is the wellbeing of the children. Do you deny that you have done so?”</p><p>“I do.” He has four people around him, ready to back him up. “I have not behaved in any way against the guidelines.”</p><p>The man waves a lazy hand at Jaebeom. “You deny you are in a <em>relationship</em> with the guardian of a child?”</p><p>“He isn’t—”</p><p>“Jaebeom is not the guardian of my child,” Yerin says sharply. “<em>I</em> am. There is nothing in your little rulebook that says a teacher cannot be in a relationship at all.”</p><p>The man purses his lips at her tone, and Jinyoung’s heart sinks further. That accusation might easily be defended, but what of behaving inappropriately? He doesn’t have any proof that he <em>hasn’t</em>, apart from their word for it. Doesn’t ‘innocent until proven guilty’ hold here?</p><p>So Jinyoung still expects things to get worse.</p><p>-</p><p>What he is <em>not</em> expecting is for <em>Choi Youngjae</em> to slam the door open and storm inside. He is also <em>not</em> expecting the boy to pull a much older man inside rather forcefully—but that is what happens. Jinyoung heaves himself to his feet, because that older man is Choi Sungho, the man who heads this administration, the head of the parent company Sunrise is under, a man whose property spans quite a lot of the city. The greasy man come to “investigate” jumps in surprise and bows deeply, addressing him formally.</p><p>He’s staring, wide-eyed. He certainly didn’t expect this man to be here in person. And why is Youngjae…<em>Choi</em> Youngjae. <em>Choi</em> Sungho. The sheer <em>resemblance</em>.</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>His son?</p><p>Youngjae is the son of…</p><p>Jesus Christ.</p><p>“Jinyoung hyung, good to see you.” Youngjae nods a bit stiffly at him. There’s not a trace of the smiling, talkative young man he met in the examination hall or outside his department. There’s a fierce look in his eyes, almost challenging, and it’s directed at his…father? grandfather? uncle?</p><p>Jaebeom’s hand brushes against his and he grabs it, for some support. “Jaebeom, this is Youngjae; I met him during the exam, I think I told you—?” He nods, eyes sliding between both the newcomers. </p><p>Jinyoung doesn’t speak, waits, waits for something to happen. The entire room seems to be holding its breath. </p><p>Choi Sungho looks uncomfortably from Youngjae to Jinyoung to the man from administration. Quietly, so quietly they barely hear him, he mutters, “Call it off. He’s clear.”</p><p>Hope leaps in Jinyoung’s chest. Jaebeom squeezes his hand. </p><p>The man who came earlier looks baffled. “Sir—” he attempts to say, but Sungho shakes his head. </p><p>“Dad,” Youngjae says firmly. So they are father and son after all. “We talked about this.” Jinyoung hears him exhale on a curse aimed at the boy, but he doesn’t say anything else. Youngjae clears his throat. “<em>Dad</em>.”</p><p>“Park Jinyoung-ssi,” Choi Sungho says, gritting his teeth like he’s in pain. “I owe you an apology.”</p><p>He’s frozen, not ready to give in to hope, not ready to believe this. </p><p>“I admit,” he continues, each word taking years off his life, “I called for your resignation, due to certain…reasons.” </p><p>“Dad.”</p><p>“Certain…prejudices. That I held. I must say—”</p><p>“<em>Dad</em>.”</p><p>“What do you want me to say, Youngjae?” Sungho bursts out, facing his son helplessly. In that moment, Jinyoung sees their entire relationship spread out in front of them. He can only imagine too well, business tycoon Choi Sungho and his only weakness, his son. Choi Youngjae, who grew up in a homophobic household, clearly hiding that he has a boyfriend. Jinyoung doesn’t know what he said to his father to make him change his views (well, at least, stop acting on them), but he’s grateful as it is.</p><p>“I want you to say the truth, no sugarcoating!” Youngjae retorts. “I want you to say you’re a homophobic disgrace whose ‘prejudices’ made you fire a hardworking, innocent man under false pretences!”</p><p>It’s clear from Sungho’s face that all he’s willing to do is accept that, not repeat it. </p><p>“Park Jinyoung-ssi,” he attempts again, “I apologize for the distress I must have caused you. I see that the complaints registered against you are also representative of the difficulties you face. You are…exceptional. At your job. We do not wish that you resign. Again, my apologies.”</p><p>Youngjae crosses his arms, not satisfied, but settling for it. </p><p>Still in shock, Jinyoung realizes a beat too late that they are waiting for a response. “Yes. I—I acknowledge the apology. I don’t intend to resign.”</p><p>A brief, awkward pause. Choi Sungho nods at him and walks out the door, gesturing for the greasy man (looking like he’s seen a ghost) to follow. Youngjae watches them leave, glaring.</p><p>-</p><p>The tension breaks slowly. They emerge from whatever spell they’ve been under, blinking around, an unspoken <em>’did that just happen?’</em> on everyone’s tongue. </p><p>“Youngjae—” Jinyoung can’t speak, can’t tell him how thankful he is.</p><p>“Hyung, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—” he sighs, flashing smiles at the others in the room. “I’ve heard them talking about you at home. Not by name, about an employee who’s gay, saying they wanted him to leave. I didn’t know they were talking about you.”</p><p>Jinyoung shakes his head. “How could you have known?” So this is why he was so interested that he worked for Sunrise, back in the exam hall; why he was so furious on Sunday.</p><p>“Hilarious, isn’t it? He’s such a homophobe, didn’t even know his own son is gay.” He huffs out. Before anyone can offer comfort, he lights up on seeing Jaebeom. “Oh, is this your boyfriend? The one who works at JYPE?” He sticks out a hand. “Choi Youngjae. I’ve just graduated. Majoring in music.”</p><p>Jaebeom raises an eyebrow. “That’s cool. You looking for work? Take it from me, don’t go to JYPE.”</p><p>And Jinyoung just has to laugh.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>also fuck jype that's the new agenda</p></blockquote></div></div>
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